Ashes 2021-22: Australia Believe They Can Win The Series 5-0, Says Nathan Lyon

Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon has said that his team believes that they can win the ongoing Ashes 2021 by 5-0. They won the first Test at the Gabba in Brisbane by nine wickets inside four days.

In the last two Ashes played in Australia (2013-14 & 2017-18), the home team beat the three lions by 5-0 and 4-0 respectively. They will be looking to repeat the past performances to retain the Ashes after levelling the previous Ashes in England (2019) by 2-2.

The last time an England team won an Ashes was way back in 2015 when they beat the Michael Clarke-led side by 3-2. The Alastair Cook-led side won the first game by 168 runs while the Aussies came back at Lords by winning the game by 405 runs and levelling the series 1-1.

The series was set to be a closely-contested affair but the one side losses to Australia in the third and fourth game meant they lost the Ashes which they had won in 2013-14 in their backyard.

In the return Ashes in 2017-18, they battered the Joe Root-led team by 4-0 with the fourth ending in a draw. They went to defend the urn in 2019 in England where they levelled the closely contested series by 2-2. They successfully defended the trophy and now will be looking to retain it. Meanwhile, Lyon believes that his side will win the five-match series 5-0.

Nathan Lyon believes that Australia will win the Ashes 5-0

In an interaction with The Herald and The Age, the right-arm off-spinner said that he has never walked into a Test series thinking that his team will win one game and lose another.

“I do believe we can win 5-0 … for sure. “I’ve never walked into a Test series thinking I’m going to go in there and lose a game. We’ll do everything we can. If we prepare well and play the right positive brand of cricket under our new captain, there’s no reason why we can’t win 5-0,” the right-arm off-spinner said.

The 34-year-old added that the England team will challenge his side in the series but the Aussies will make sure to make the most of the two pink-ball Tests in Adelaide and Hobart.

“In saying that, England’s a classy outfit, and they’re going to challenge us here and there. With two pink-ball games now, we’re going to make sure we’re totally on our game.”

The former Adelaide Oval groundsman further added that he would be happy to play a spinner on Adelaide surface as a Test match is a long game. He also said that it’s not up to him whether England includes left-arm spinner Jack Leach or not but Lyon believes that Leach is a world-class bowler and will make a come-back.

“I’m always happy to play a spinner on no matter what wicket. The way I look at Test cricket, you just can’t pick your team for the first session of the Test. Test cricket is a long, challenging game, but I am expecting [Stuart] Broad and [Jimmy] Anderson to play.”

Whether they play a spinner or not, that’s not up to me. It is challenging but no doubt he’s a class bowler and he’ll bounce back. He’ll do his work and we need to make sure Australia is prepared. I don’t know what the Adelaide wicket is going to look like but I can guarantee it’ll be a cracking wicket in my eyes,” the former Adelaide Oval groundsman further added.

Australia is currently leading the five-match series by 1-0 and will be looking to stamp their authority once again in the second game starting from December 16.